Revolutionizing Salesforce: Unveiling the Cutting-Edge Design Trends of 2024
As we enter a new year, it's essential to reflect on the evolving landscape of design, particularly in the realm of Salesforce and AI. These insights are drawn from various sources, including Dreamforce sessions, LinkedIn discussions, and Trailhead design groups, all pointing toward emerging trends.
One prominent trend is the increasing significance of design for professionals across roles, whether you're a developer, admin, architect, or business leader. Design, the art of creative problem-solving and the science of usability is now more critical than ever in the age of AI.
Within this evolving landscape, four design trends are driving change:
AI as a New User: With AI becoming increasingly prevalent, it's crucial to treat AI as a new class of user. Salesforce User Experience (UX) Designers are now applying their skills to create customer journeys not only for humans but also for autonomous agents. Designers need to consider diverse user scenarios as AI evolves and establish clear boundaries for human-AI interactions. Effective communication, whether between humans or between humans and AI, is fundamental to usability in this context.
AI Tools for Discovery: AI accelerates the discovery phase of design by streamlining research and problem definition. It automates tasks like sorting, summarizing, categorizing, and visualizing data, reducing tedious hours of work. Tools like ChatGPT, Python scripts, and visual creation software enhance research and provide valuable insights. Embracing AI in team processes requires a willingness to experiment while keeping accessibility in mind from the outset.
Accessibility and Inclusion: Accessibility and bias concerns are magnified with AI integration. Addressing these issues from the beginning is imperative. Design ethics and legal compliance drive discussions on accessibility. The Department of Justice's rules and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 3.0) have set the standard. Incorporating accessibility into design elements saves time and ensures compliance. Salesforce's Lightning Design System (SLDS) is designed with accessibility in mind, meeting color thresholds and supporting assistive technology.
Closer Collaboration Between Designers and Developers: The lines between designers and developers are blurring, especially in the context of AI. Collaboration between these disciplines leads to better understanding and more functional, usable products. For instance, the SLDS component library on Figma promotes seamless integration of design and development. The future holds the promise of automation, with plug-ins generating code for UI designs, fostering closer cooperation between design and engineering.
As we embark on 2024, these design trends centered around Salesforce and AI offer great promise, shaping the way we approach design in this dynamic landscape.